Rail-tie.



PATENTED MAY 2, 1905.

W. S. ROUSH.

RAIL TIE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 8,1904.

FIG..3

alum flow W as, [Z WM attouwa l NiTEn STATES Patented May 2. 1905.

WILSON S. ROUSI-I. OF WORTHINGTON, OHIO. ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOIVILLIAM ROUSH, OF MOUNDSVILLE, EST VIRGINIA.

RAIL-TIE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,602, dated May 2,1905.

Application filed July 8, 1904. Serial No. 215,797.

Be it known that l, WILSON S. Rouse, a citizen of the United States,residing at VVorthington,in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio,haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Ties, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a metallic railwaytie; and the primary objectof the same is to provide a com 'iaratively simple device of this classhaving structural features to positively cooperate with rail-clamps orholding devices which are substituted for and advantageously replacespikes ordinarily employed in securing rails to wooden ties to expediterailway construction and obstruct loosening of the rails, but permitexpansion and contraction of the same under changes of temperature.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tie havingclampingorholding devices adjustable in relation thereto which may be readilyoperated to accommodate repairs or grading and of a strong and durablenature.

The improved tie consists of a metal body of elongated form having anupper dovetail seat or slot opening out through the top thereof in whichthe shanks of clamping or holding heads are slidably mounted and adaptedto be held in engagement with rails by readily applicable andremovablekeys or wedges inserted transversely through the upper portionof the tie at regular intervals.

The invention further consists in the construction and arrangement o'lthe several parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved tie,showing portions of rails disposed thereon. Fig. 2 is a side elevationof the tie broken away at one end, showing rails in section supportedthereby. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on the line 3 3,Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail elevation of one of the clamps or holders.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts in the several views.

The numeral 1 designates the improved tie, which is formed of suitablemetal and has oppositely-extending base-flanges 2 and an under concaveedge?) to render the flanges 2 effective in preventing the tie fromslipping by permitting the earth on a track-bed to fill up or engage thelower concave edge, and thus obstruct any tendency of displacement ofthe ties in a direction longitudinally of the track. The tie also has ahead i with an upwardlyopening dovetail slot 5 longitudinallytherethrough from end to end, the portion 6 of the tie between the headand the flanges being reduced-and providing opposite longitudinalrecesses 7 to receive the ballast or filling for the track, which willserve as a further means for preventing movement of the ties.

Clamps or holders are removably and adjustably mounted in the tie, andeach clamp embodies a shank 8 of the same contour in cross-section asthe slot orseat 5, the widest part of each shank being at its lower edgeto prevent the several shanks from rising and becoming disengaged fromthe head 4. At one end of each shank is an upwardly-extending head 9,which is of materially greater width than the shank and the slot 5 toprovide an extended bearing or contacting surface for engagement withthe base-flange 10 of a rail 11. At an intermediate point each head isformed with an outwardly-opening throat 12, corresponding in contour toand adapted to receive the portion of the rail-flange 10 on oppositesides of the web of the rail, the throat being deep enough to permit thefree end of the head 9 to snugly bear against the portion of the web ofthe rail immediately above said base-flange. Each tie is equipped withfour of the clamps or holders, and the latter are all of substantiallythe same construction as those engaging the outer portions of the rails,which have key slots 13, extending transversely therethrough close tothe heads.

The clamps or holders are inserted in the slot 5 from opposite ends ofthe tie, with the heads of the inner clamps located outwardly and theheads of the outer clamps projected inwardly. Primarily, the clamps orholders are separated far enough to permit the rails 11 to be insertedbetween the opposing heads, and after the rails have been properlypositioned the clamps are moved toward the rails and the flanges of thelatter enter the throats 12. To hold the clamps against movement afterthey have been adjusted to engage the base-flanges of the rails,wedge-plates 14 are inserted through slots 15, extending transverselythrough the head 4 of the tie and the slots 13 in the shanks of theouter clamps, which coincide with the said slots 15 when the said outerclamps are properly adjusted against the rails. The wedge-plates 14 areformed with recesses 16 at their inner edges of such length as to permitthe plates to be pushed inwardly and embrace the opposite portions ofthe head 4 adjacent to the slots 15. After the plates 14 are thusdisposed wedge-shaped keys 17 are inserted through the slots 13 and 15against the outer edges of the plates 14, and accidental separation ofsaid keys from the head 4 and shanks 8 is prevented by cotter-pins oranalogous devices 18, inserted through the reduced extremities thereof.The inner clamps are shoved outwardly to cause their heads to engage theinner portions of the base-flanges of the rails, and aWedge-plate 18 isthen inserted through an opening 19, extending transversely through thecenter of the head 4, the plate 18 being of the same contour andconstruction as the plates 14 heretofore described. After theWedge-plate 18 is inserted through the slot or opening 19 it is pushedup against the inner end of one of the shanks 8 to lock it againstaccidental disengagement through the medium of a central recess 20 inone edge thereof similar to the recesses 16 in the plates 14, and awedge-shaped key 21 is then inserted through the slot or opening 19 andbears closely against the edge of the plate 18, opposite that having therecess 20 therein, and also against the inner end of the shank 8 of theremaining clamp located between the rails. A cotter-pin or analogousdevice 22 is then inserted through the reduced extremity of the key 21.The edges of the plates 14 and 18 and keys 1? and 21 which engage areinclined in reverse directions for obvious reasons, and the edges of thekeys which directly bear against the outer terminals of the slots 15 andthe inner end of one of the clampshanks are straight, and hence theclamping members are firmly held against movement, but may be quicklyadjusted to disengage the heads thereof from the rail-flanges bywithdrawing the keys 17 and 21 and shifting the plates 14 and 18.

The improved tie will be found exceptionally economical in that it willnot be subject to decay, and track repair will be reduced to a minimum,especially in view of the absence of spikes and the substitutiontherefor of the clamping members. Furthermore, the rails will be helduniformly level and prevented from sinking. Changes in the proportions,dimensions, and minor details may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is- Arailtie having a dovetail slot extending longitudinally through theupper portion thereof and opening out at opposite ends, clamps havingshanks similar in form to the slot and slidably mounted in the latter,said clamps also having heads at one end which project above the upperedge of the tie and are adapted to engage the base-flanges of rails,wedge-plates transversely inserted through slots in the tie and shankand having recessed edges to em brace the opposite sides of the tie,wedge-keys also inserted through said slots and holding saidclamping-plates, and means for securing the keys against withdrawal.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WVILSON S. ROUSH.

WVitnesses:

WORTHINGTON (J. LEWIS, WVILLIAMs ELLIS.

